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Dismal Ratings Continue for U.S. Congress
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - American adults remain disheartened with their federal lawmakers, according to two recent public opinion polls. In a survey by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News, 21 per cent of respondents approve of the way Congress is doing its job.
The approval rating for Congress stands at 19 per cent in a study by Ipsos-Public Affairs for the Associated Press.
American voters renewed the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate in November 2006. In January 2007, the Democratic Party took control of the lower house for the first time since 1994, with 233 lawmakers. A victory for the Democratic candidates for the Senate in Montana and Virginia also gave the party a majority in the upper house. Democratic California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House.
On Aug. 8, House minority leader John Boehner expressed dissatisfaction with the Democratic majority’s decision to oppose changes to oil drilling regulations, saying, "You can’t thwart the will of the American people. Our system of government doesn’t allow it. When people speak up, this place responds. (...) One person can’t stand up and just block the will of the American people. [Pelosi] may be trying to protest Harry Reid and Barack Obama, but the Speaker is going to get rolled. The only question is when. And you can take that to the bank."
American voters will elect a new president, and renew the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate on Nov. 4.
Polling Data
a) Do you approve or disapprove of the job Congress is doing?
|
Jul. 23 |
Jun. 18 |
Apr. 29 |
|
|
Approve |
21% |
19% |
22% |
|
Disapprove |
68% |
69% |
67% |
|
Not sure |
11% |
12% |
11% |
Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Jul. 22 and Jul. 23, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
b) Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way Congress is handling its job?
|
Aug. 2008 |
Jul. 2008 |
Jun. 2008 |
|
|
Approve |
19% |
18% |
23% |
|
Disapprove |
75% |
77% |
72% |
|
Mixed Feelings |
4% |
2% |
3% |
|
Unsure |
2% |
3% |
2% |
Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted from Jul. 31 to Aug. 4, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.